The 49ers were targeting speed at the running back position in the 2024 NFL Draft and got it.
The San Francisco 49ers made a major move up in the 2024 NFL Draft when they traded up 44 spots to select Louisville running back Isaac Guerendo with the No. 129 pick in the fourth round.
Guerendo, who shined at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.33 40-yard dash, had been a player to watch, as his one-cut style and blazing speed fit what the 49ers wanted to do.
But, there were questions about whether the 49ers would end up taking a running back in the draft, given the talent at the position with Christian McCaffrey as the headliner.
Ultimately, given the lack of overall depth in the class, as well as the value of Guerendo in the late fourth round, the 49ers pulled the trigger to select him, adding who could be Elijah Mitchell’s eventual replacement to the team.
What stood out about Guerendo in the pre-draft process?
“We were looking for speed,” running backs coach Bobby Turner shared, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “[Guerendo] has the speed and he’s bigger. He’s 221-222 pounds. We needed another fast runner in our offense. During my interview process leading up to this, the very first thing I saw on tape was the ability to break the long runs and take it to the house, hit the home run.”
Guerendo’s speed-size profile is very similar to Elijah Mitchell, who was another bigger-bodied back who ran a sub-4.4 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
For Turner, in addition to the speed, the running backs coach immediately saw the extra gear that Guerendo had, which would provide another explosive element to the 49ers offense.
“The very first thing I saw on tape was the ability to break the long runs and take it to the house [and] hit the home run. I saw that on tape,” Turner added.
The 49ers have had a long history of valuing faster, one-cut running backs in the Kyle Shanahan era, with players such as Raheem Mostert standing out.
Now, they’re continuing the trend with fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo, who fit the mold of the player they were looking for, and could be in line for a bigger role in the future.